Lost Tales: The Hayashi Princess
by GirlsAndTwirls
Summary: Naruto, Sakura, Ino, and Konohamaru are dispatched on a mission to guard and escort a young political leader in danger. Mixed canon/original universe featuring several original characters.
1. Beginnings

**If you read the summary then you already know that this is not entirely based on canon, so any inconsistencies in that regard are due to my preferences, not mistakes. The timeframe is sometime after the 4th Great War, but unspecified other than that. This should be a relatively short fic, maybe 4 or 5 chapters at most. As always feel free to review or PM, and enjoy!**

 **...**

Sakura shivered a little as she stepped out into a light breeze and the fading sunlight of evening. It wasn't quite winter yet, but these autumn nights were getting colder and colder. She huddled in her jacket and looked over her shoulder at the man following a half step behind her.

"Wanna grab some dinner? I could use some warm food, and it'll give us a chance to talk about the mission a little." Naruto Uzumaki smiled warmly at her and nodded his agreement as he tucked bandaged hands into his pockets. Sakura slowed a moment to match his pace as they walked through the courtyard in front of the Hokage's office and out onto the street. Neither of them had to say where they were going. Lately they'd found themselves eating together quite often and they always went to Ichiraku. At first Sakura had only really agreed because Naruto liked it so much, but the truth was the place had really grown on her over the last few months. Her mouth watered at the thought and she couldn't help but smile wryly. The two of them walked through the busy streets of Konoha at a mild pace, shoulder to shoulder, without a word. Once upon a time Naruto would have been talking her ear off, but nowadays they often spent long stretches of time together in comfortable silence. But she supposed that's what happens when people spend years together and know each other as well as they did. She glanced over at him as they meandered past market stalls closing up for the night. He had a soft smile curling the edges of his mouth, and those brilliant blue eyes had a faraway look about them that made her curious.

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto refocused on the present and turned to look at her, his smile widening.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking that the Land of Rivers is probably beautiful right about now, with all the leaves changed and whatnot." She smiled back at him, returning to her musings about how much things had changed since they were kids. Naruto would never even have noticed the changing leaves back then, much less spent time thinking about how beautiful they were. She brushed a lock of hair away from her face with a gloved hand and wondered when exactly that loud-mouthed little brat and become this for-the-most-part mature young man. Her thoughts were interrupted when he leaned towards her and repeated her question back to her.

"Just...just about the mission." It wasn't the whole truth, but she also wasn't about to tell him she'd been silently admiring him. He wasn't so mature that he'd let that slide, and she wasn't about to have him teasing her all through dinner. Besides, if she confessed to it now he'd probably catch her at it more often, which would just be more trouble. For him. She smiled slyly at her own joke as he obliviously nodded.

"Mmm. It should be interesting, though I doubt we'll see much action. Then again, I haven't heard anything about this Princess Hitomi before. Have you?" Sakura shook her head as they rounded a corner and Ichiraku came into view.

"Nope, but then again I don't sit in on Tsunade-sama's meetings any more, so I haven't really heard of or met any of the important leaders in other countries." Naruto nodded and reached out a bandaged hand, pulling aside the curtain separating Ichiraku from the cold for her. She smiled gratefully and slipped past, delightedly sighing in the much warmer space. Naruto followed close behind, brushing against her.

"Welcome! Ah, Sakura-chan, Naruto-kun, back again so soon? The usual?" Ayame grinned broadly at them, waving them up to their usual seats. No one else was there at the moment, but from Sakura's experience she knew most of the seats would be full in an hour or so. The two stepped up, slipping off their jackets as they went. Naruto held out a hand perfectly in time to take Sakura's hooded jacket just as she folded it, setting it on top of his on the seat to his right. It was a routine of theirs, something she usually failed to even notice that they did. But her mind being half in the past tonight, she once again wondered about it as she settled into her seat on his left. The funny thing wasn't even that they had a routine, but that they had more than she could really consider. The way they walked together, where they went to eat, where they sat when they ate, what they ordered, the jackets, the days and ways they trained together...the list seemed endless. And it didn't bother her at all. She glanced over at him, watching him as he watched Ayame cook, and knew he didn't mind either. After a few short minutes, Ayame set a large steaming bowl in front of each of them.

"One Naruto Special and one Sakura Special! Enjoy!" Sakura rolled her eyes. Ayame always made the same joke, just like she always grinned at them when she dropped little hints about all of these "dates". At first they had both been a little freaked out by it, but eventually they had just let her go on with it. They weren't dates after all, just dinner a few nights a week. And lunch sometimes. And...well now that she really thought about it, she did guess they ate more meals together than they did apart, even taking into account when they were on different missions. Shrugging the thought away, she dug into her ramen with gusto. They ate quietly for a minute with Ayame watching on with that giddy grin before the curtain parted once more and a chill draft crept across Sakura's bare neck.

"Mmhhhmm, thought I'd find you two here." They both turned to look over their shoulders to find Ino Yamanaka pulling the curtain shut behind her. She spun back to face them, her hip-long braided ponytail swinging a bit wildly behind her. Sakura swallowed before greeting her.

"Hey Ino, I didn't think you'd be back already." Ino smiled at them and slipped her black jacket off. She set it casually on the pile, adjusting her intentionally too-tight purple shirt before settling into the seat next to Sakura.

"Yeah well it was a bit chilly on the road so I hustled a bit to stay warm. Apparently I just missed you guys at Tsunade-sama's." Naruto leaned forward as she ordered a diet ramen.

"Then you already got briefed for the mission?" Ino nodded at him, rubbing her hands together.

"Yep, Tsunade-sama told me everything. Land of Rivers, princess, escorting, all of that. I'll be ready first thing in the morning, though I hope HE can behave himself this time." Sakura and Ino both laughed at the grimace on Naruto's face and Sakura patted him on the back, her hand lingering for just a second longer than she originally intended.

"Don't worry, Naruto. Konohamaru's still scared of me from last time, he'll behave." Naruto sighed and returned to his food as Ayame set Ino's down in front of her. Sakura turned back to hers as well, less confident than she appeared. Konohamaru might as well be a Naruto clone the way he acted. It was true Naruto had matured a lot, but Konohamaru was a few years behind in both age and maturity. The last mission the four of them had went on, the little squirt had started a brawl with strangers in a restaurant over a simple misunderstanding. When it was finally over, Konohamaru was unconscious on the floor from one of her punches and Naruto was forced to shell out a pretty hefty sum to pay the owner for all of the damages. It had been a mess, but Sakura couldn't say she wasn't happy about the four of them being assigned another mission together. Despite his immaturity, she loved Konohamaru like a little brother and they fought well together. Then again, that's because he fought like Naruto, and her and Naruto fought so well together by now that they never even had to bother talking to know what the other wanted to do or was thinking. And Ino...well even though they were still rivals, they had never been closer as friends. Besides, she needed another sane woman around if she was going to be dealing with both Konohamaru and Naruto.

"Though we'll be gone for awhile, so I guess this is going to be your last date for a week or two. I doubt you guys will have a chance for a romantic dinner for two on the road, huh?" Sakura blushed and turned to frown at the grinning blond woman to her left as Ayame giggled. She didn't mind it when Ayame joked about that kind of thing, but somehow Ino doing it always made her embarrassed.

"We're not dating, Ino-pig. It's just dinner. You don't call it a date when you eat dinner with Shikamaru or Chouji." Ino smirked at her, eyes obviously looking at the redness of her cheeks.

"True, but I don't eat dinner with Shikamaru or Chouji every night of the week. I don't think I even spend as much time with Sai as you two spend together, and we live in the same apartment. You guys are always eating together, training together, walking together. You're like an old married couple trapped in young bodies." Sakura blushed even further, dumbfounded by the sudden bluntness of Ino's teasing. She turned to Naruto for help, but found him looking down blankly, stuffing noodles in his mouth and pretending like he couldn't hear anything.

"It's not like that. We're on the same team, you know." Ino scoffed at that admittedly pathetic excuse, still smirking.

"Please, you haven't been on a set team in forever, Sakura. And even best friends don't spend that much time…"

"Enough, Ino." Both women turned to Naruto, who had finally joined the conversation. He was frowning at them, a look in his eyes Sakura didn't recognize. Ino sighed but relented and went back to her food. Sakura gave him a soft smile which he returned. An older couple with a young daughter barged past the curtain a moment later and the three shinobi ate in silence as Ayame served them. Sakura entertained herself by listening to the girl tell a story about school that day as they finished their meal. Naruto paid for both her and Ino as well as himself and then handed Ino her jacket. He unfolded hers, however, and held it out for her to slip into. She did, thanking him, but didn't fail to notice the smirk return to Ino's face as she watched. It was another routine of theirs, another simple thing she normally took no notice of. Thinking about it as they said goodbye to Ayame and stepped into the now cold night air though, she did suppose it wasn't exactly a normal thing for friends to do. The three of them set off up the road together, all of them living in the same direction. Naruto and Ino talked lightly as they walked, a comforting buzz in Sakura's ears as she mulled over her thoughts. Before long they came to Naruto's cross street and he waved goodbye to them. She watched as he strode off, hands in his pockets and short blond spikes glinting softly in the light of a streetlamp.

"Sakura? You coming?" She looked around in surprise, almost having forgotten Ino was there. She quickly caught up to her blond friend who was already a few steps down the road.

"Geez Sakura, you sure are scatterbrained tonight. Though I guess I would be too." Sakura looked at her curiously as they continued to walk. Ino sighed and shook her head, blond braid wiggling behind her.

"Look Forehead, I know I'm always teasing you about Naruto, but it's because I love you. Despite all of your objections to the contrary, it's sooo obvious that you guys like each other. Neither one of you has been on a date with anyone else in who knows how long and you spend all of your time together. And when I said you're like an old married couple, I meant it. You guys do things for each other that even Sai and I don't. And I'm not teasing, I think it's really sweet. I'm just tired of watching you two pretend like it's not happening when everyone else can see it is." Sakura was stunned by the sudden outburst from her friend. She was even more stunned by the return of a blush to her cheeks. Her and Naruto? Yeah, they were different from normal friends. That much was obvious, but it didn't mean they were into each other like that. And to say it was happening even though they pretended it wasn't? You couldn't be dating someone with neither of you knowing it...could you? Ino was looking at her expectantly, but she didn't know what to say, so the blond just sighed again.

"Look, just use that big brain of yours, alright? Think about it. You'll see that I'm right. And if it helps at all, you guys are pretty much the cutest couple ever. Other than me and Sai of course! See you tomorrow, lover girl." With a laugh and wink she was gone, no doubt off to tell her boyfriend the day's gossip. Sakura simply stood in the middle of the road thinking until the cold night pushed her to hurry home. Lover girl?

 **...**

Naruto walked along, silently lost in thought. Sakura was in her usual place at his left side, though she too seemed to be thinking about something else. A few paces ahead of them Ino and Konohamaru were arguing loudly about something or other. Those two were always jabbering or arguing about something. He honestly wasn't sure if they'd stopped talking once since they'd left Konoha ten hours ago. He glanced to his left. He and Sakura normally didn't talk much. They were comfortable just being, but something seemed off about her today. The silence between them seemed to have some kind of tension, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. He could ask her, but each time he'd tried the words had caught in his throat for some reason. A breeze pulled gently at him, filled with the growing chill and rustle of thousands of dying leaves overhead. A flicker of movement caught his eye and he turned his gaze left again. Sakura's hair had spilled out of the unused hood hanging from her shoulders and was dancing in the wind. He couldn't help but smile. She'd been letting it grow out again, saying she just felt like doing something different. He hadn't minded her hair short, but he thought she looked nicer the way it was now, more womanly he guessed. She noticed his attention and turned to him.

"Naruto?" He smiled softly and shrugged before looking ahead. He could feel her curious gaze lingering on him though. He thought he heard her start to say something quietly, but if she had it was interrupted by a yell from in front of them.

"Oi, Nii-san! It's almost dark! Are we gonna set up camp or what?" He turned his attention to Konohamaru, who was frowning at him with his hands on his hips. Looking up at the sky, Naruto realized it was later than he had thought. The clouds were already painted a ruddy orange and a hint of stars peeked out between them.

"Yeah, let's go ahead and call it a day." Konohamaru nodded and strode off the road and into the forest, Ino close behind. Naruto and Sakura followed, still side by side.

By the time the sun had fully set they had set up camp in a small clearing guarded from the wind by a fallen tree covered in a thick curtain of hanging moss. A roaring fire had warmed the densely enclosed space nicely. Two hours later Naruto lay on his bedroll using his bag as a pillow and stared absently at the dark foliage overhead. The fire was much smaller now, but still enough to keep them warm. Its crackling and the soft breathing around him were the only sounds in the night. The others had long since gone to sleep. The space under the tree was tight and he was very aware of Sakura's arm brushing his whenever she shifted in her sleep. He felt a little tinge of heat in his cheeks every time it did. He sighed and quietly got up, moving around the fire and leaping up onto one of the overhanging limbs. Between her arm and Konohamaru muttering in his sleep on the other side of him there was no way he could sleep right now. Sitting with his back to the clearing, he leaned his head on the trunk and watched the stars through a space between the branches. He hadn't been there more than a few moments when someone settled in next to him. Turning, surprised, he found Sakura watching him curiously.

"Sakura...sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She shrugged and turned her gaze to the stars as she whispered back.

"It's ok, I wasn't sleeping that well anyway. Too much on my mind...I guess. Besides, it's a beautiful night." Now it was his turn to look at her curiously. She had her gloved hands clasped tightly in her lap and a small frown on her lips.

"Hey...you alright?" She turned back to him, smiling almost a little sadly. She didn't say anything for a few moments, but then pressed her hands to her thighs and sighed softly.

"It's just...I've been thinking about something Ino said last night...after you went home. And, well, the more I think about it, the more I feel like she's right, you know?" He frowned, confused.

"And that's a...bad thing?" Sakura shook her head, not meeting his gaze.

"No. At least, not if she's totally right. It would just mean things will be different, and that's...a little scary." Now he was really confused. What could Ino have said that would scare Sakura? She was like the toughest woman on the planet. He reached out and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"What do you mean? What would be different? What did she say?" Sakura's eyes looked at his hand, then met his once more. She reached up and placed her hand over his, holding it there and bringing that tinge of heat back to his cheeks.

"We'd be different, Naruto. She said she's tired of watching us pretend like there's not something...different, special, between us, when her and everyone else can see it plain as day. She said that she teases us about it so much because it's so obviously true…" Naruto was a little stunned. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, and then another moment to get them out as he realized what they were.

"She said...and you...feel like she's right?" Ok, so he still really couldn't get them out properly, but that didn't really matter at the moment. Something inside him felt like it was hanging on to the edge of a cliff as he waited for her to respond.

"Yeah...I think I do. I don't know exactly how I feel, but I know you're more than just a close friend, to me. I know there's...something...here. Do you...do you feel the same way?" That same thing that had been hanging on a cliff before was now jumping and screaming, and he realized it was his younger self triumphantly celebrating. He smiled, so wide it hurt, but managed to restrain himself from anything more.

"Yeah." Sakura smiled back at him. She pulled his hand from her shoulder but didn't let it go, and then scooted right up next to him. Laying her head on his shoulder, she sighed contently. He couldn't contain his grin so he just stopped trying and leaned his head into hers. They sat there in silence, watching the stars turn overhead.

 **...**

Sakura had to struggle to hide the grin that kept trying to creep onto her face. Turning slyly to her right, she looked up at Naruto. He turned to her, straight faced, but he couldn't hide that twinkle in his eyes. He gave her a wink and turned back to the road ahead. She did the same, admiring for the first time his expertise in this sort of thing. That night, after a long while of cuddling and stargazing, he'd suggested an idea that had immediately had her smirking. Since Ino had spent the last few months teasing them relentlessly, they'd decided not to let her in on the fact that they were officially together now. However, it was barely noon on the second day and Sakura had almost blown it several times already. She just couldn't help it. As soon as she'd admitted that she felt for him as more than a friend and he'd agreed, she'd felt a huge rush of relief and then just so damn happy. She'd been holding his hand as they walked yesterday and had only just managed to separate from him in time when Ino had turned around to tell them to hurry. Even now she was walking much closer to him than usual, fingers drifting along his sleeve and teasing at the entrance to the pocket where his hand was tucked.

"Sakura, you're going to get us caught." She grinned at him and shrugged.

"It's more fun when you take risks, right?" He shook his head but smiled, hand sliding out of his pocket and fingers tangling loosely with hers. Sakura leaned against him as they walked. Ino was too busy berating Konohamaru about his Pervy Ninjutsu to notice them anyway. They continued on that way for another half hour or so, until they crossed a bridge and arrived at a crossroads. A few miles up the road to the right was a massive castle built out of rose-colored sandstone. Konohamaru shaded his eyes and peered out at it.

"Damn! That's a big castle. Why's it pink?" Sakura and Naruto stepped up next to them, regretfully dropping hands. Naruto shook his head at the younger ninja and gestured.

"It's called sandstone dummy, and that's where we're going. Hayashi Castle, home of Princess Hitomi."


	2. That Was Interesting

**Well, sorry for the very long delay, and the shorter chapter. Life calls and all of that. I also made some significant changes to the future plot because I didn't like my original idea, so it may seem a little choppy. Can't say for sure when the next one will come out as I'm traveling, but I'll do my best. Hope you enjoy!**

 **...**

"Well, that was...interesting I guess?" Ino remarked as she settled onto one of several couches in the lavishly decorated room. Sakura merely huffed in agreement as she dropped onto one opposite her. She still had a sour frown plastered across her face, but no doubt Ino would assume it was in response to their general reception instead of that stupid serving girl's blatant flirtation with Naruto. The two women had just been shown, finally, to the room they had been given for the one night they'd be staying in Hayashi Castle. They'd been here for hours already, most of which had been spent enduring frustratingly boring ceremonies and a ridiculous tour, all led by the yet-to-be-seen Princess Hitomi's arrogant, cold-shouldered uncle Raizo. The short, waspishly built man had greeted them in the throne room courteously enough, but it didn't take a shinobi to tell he was displeased in some way with the team Tsunade had sent to guard his niece. If that hadn't been weird and irritating enough, when he'd finally finished what was essentially bragging about the Hayashi family's storied history he'd summoned some foolish girl to take them to their rooms. The moment they had been out of his sight, she'd sidled right up to Naruto and began dropping hints about how amazing it was to meet the 'handsome hero of the Leaf' and how she'd be happy to show him around some more. It had taken a great deal of self-control not to throw the girl out a window, though imagining it made her grin darkly.

"Um...Sakura?" She jerked up to look at Ino, now painfully aware the blond had been talking to her the entire time she'd been fantasizing about defending her claim on Naruto.

"Oh, sorry Ino, I was thinking about something...else." Ino smirked at her and leaned back, silently teasing her with a raised eyebrow.

"I can't imagine what. Unless, of course, it has something to do with that girl being all over Naruto, humm?" Sakura didn't even have the grace to keep herself from blushing or her eye from twitching. Ino laughed and absently picked at a fingernail as she continued.

"I can't say I blame you. I thought for sure you were going to take her head off when she suggested showing him the gardens, privately. I mean you two have only technically been together for what? A day, maybe two? But still, if it were my boyfriend, I'd be beating those perfect teeth out of her mouth." Sakura just stared at her, flabbergasted.

"Oh come on, Forehead. You really think I didn't notice you being all giggly and eyeing him up every chance you had? Or maybe you thought you were being sneaky holding hands half the time we were walking here? I may not be one of the great 'New Sannin', but I'm still a damn fine ninja." Sakura blushed more deeply, but then just sighed and let a very Naruto-ish grin creep across her face.

"Well, so much for keeping it a secret from you. And before you even ask, it happened the first night out from Konoha, we're taking it slow and just seeing where it leads, if we ever get to the point where we have a sex life I'm not telling you anything, and if you tease us even once about getting married, you're not invited." Ino's mouth opened and shut a few times before forming into a tight smile and she nodded in acceptance. They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, Sakura blushing and Ino smirking, before a resounding knock preceded Konohamaru bursting through their door. He was in mid-sentence, loudly complaining over his shoulder as he barged in.

"...such a jerk! I mean seriously, all that boring crap, we didn't even meet the Princess, and he was acting like we were mud on his shoes the whole time!" A clearly annoyed Naruto rolled his eyes as he followed the younger boy in, shutting the door behind him. Konohamaru continued muttering and dumped himself on the couch next to Ino, who was smirking even more at Sakura as Naruto moved to join them. Sighing, but not unhappily, she stood and grabbed his hand, leaning up to peck a kiss on his lips. His eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Uh, Sakura, I…" She silenced him with another peck and then shook her head.

"She knows, it's over." Naruto turned to Ino, who was laughing softly under her breath. Sakura turned to look as well, but found her eyes drawn to Konohamaru. The boy was gaping at them, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. After a few moments he regained some composure and pointed at them.

"What the hell?! When did...but...what...what's happening?!" Sakura pulled Naruto with her as she retook her seat on the couch, intertwining their fingers with a grin.

"What's happening is when a boy likes a girl, they do this thing called dating. Do you have a problem with that, or do I need to give you a pointed reminder that you should never barge into a woman's private room unannounced, Konohamaru- _kun_?" The threatening inflection she uttered his honorific with shut him up and had him bug-eyed and blushing. He quickly shook his head. Naruto and Ino both laughed, though Sakura couldn't help but notice Naruto's was slightly nervous. She smirked at him, knowing he was remembering all of the pointed reminders she'd given him over the years for his own lack of manners. She couldn't stop herself from thinking, rather perversely, that the blond man would probably get something entirely different the next time he barged into her private room unannounced. The thought made her blush however, and she quickly stuffed it back into the darker reaches of her mind.

"Well, now that you two are finally together, I guess the next step will be finding Konohamaru a girl." Konohamaru jumped off of the couch, blushing and shaking his head at Ino as Sakura and Naruto laughed. Despite his protests, Ino continued her musings out loud.

"A boy your age should definitely be taking an interest in girls, and you clearly need one. It took Sakura years to tame Naruto, and you're worse than he was so the sooner we find you one the better. I hear Moegi's been after you for quite some time, Konohamaru. She a pretty thing, and from what I can tell more than capable of keeping you in check." By this time Sakura and Naruto were laughing uncontrollably and Konohamaru had turned a shade of red most people would think impossible. The younger boy was stuttering something about 'scary' and 'already made him take her on a bunch of dates' when there was another knock on the door. The four of them looked questioningly at each other before Naruto called out for whoever it was to enter. The door opened and the serving girl from before stepped in, giving them a quick red-cheeked glance before bowing her head. Sakura couldn't help but glare at her as she spoke.

"May I present My Lady, Princess Hitomi Hayashi." Sakura crooked her head curiously as a girl about Konohamaru's age stepped gracefully through the doorway. The princess waved her hand as she passed by, and the serving girl quickly left, shutting the door behind her. Sakura and the others stood, bowing respectfully to the younger girl. She waved them away however, a wide grin growing on her face as she spoke in an excited, lilting voice.

"Please, sit. There's no need for formality. It's just us after all; it's not like Uncle Raizo is around." Sakura was surprised, but sat back down as the other three followed suit. The princess practically skipped as she moved to them, flopping down on an unoccupied couch in a way very reminiscent of Konohamaru. She beamed silently at them, eyes roving over each of them in turn. Sakura took the awkward moment to size her up. She was definitely around Konohamaru's age, somewhere in her mid-teens and a couple of inches shorter than him. Her darker skin was similar to those from the Cloud Village and her uncle, marred by a starburst of pure white on her left cheekbone, and her wavy crimson hair spilled unkept just past her shoulders. Soft brown eyes flecked with gold positively gleamed at them. Finally realizing the awkward tension building, the girl laughed melodiously and broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm so excited! I was excited to know that Konoha ninja were going to be accompanying us as it was, but then when Akane told me it was two of the New Sannin, Yamanaka Ino and even Sarutobi Konohamaru I just HAD to meet you right away! Uncle will be upset I'm sure, but he's always lecturing me about formality and station anyway, so who cares?" They were all taken aback by her enthusiasm, but Sakura in particular was surprised she knew who they all were.

"You know who were are, Hitomi-sama?" The girl waved a hand dismissively at her with a grin.

"Please, Sakura, just Hitomi. I hate all that -dono and -sama nonsense. And of course! I've always loved hearing tales of great shinobi, ever since I was a little girl. Haruno Sakura, the Fifth Hokage's apprentice and the greatest kunoichi who ever lived. Yamanaka Ino, the blonde beauty and master of the mind. Uzumaki Naruto, son of the 4th Hokage and Hero of the Leaf. And of course Sarutobi Konohamaru, his prodigal student and rival and grandson of the Third Hokage. I know all of the stories from Konoha!" Once again they were all stunned into silence. This girl was nothing like what they would expect from a princess, and the way she eagerly stared made Sakura both immensely pleased with herself and extremely uncomfortable. It was then that the girl noticed her and Naruto's hands still clasped together and she let out a small gasp. She excitedly bounced in her seat as she pointed.

"Wow, you two are a couple?! That's amazing! I bet no one in the world could beat you guys in a fight! And then, when you guys have kids, they're going to be like the most powerful…" Sakura's brain glazed over as she continued excitedly yammering. Kids? When Naruto and I...have kids…? It was several minutes before Sakura's stunned brain managed to sort through the panicked emotions, perverted thoughts, and oddly pleasant dreams of the future rattling around her head. Luckily, when she did return to earth the princess was still excitedly talking, only this time questioning a besieged Ino about Yamanaka clan techniques. The four of them humored the young girl, answering questions about every aspect of life in Konoha for over an hour mostly because they were so overwhelmed by her enthusiasm and charm that they didn't know what else to do. Eventually though, a knock on the door signalled the return of the serving girl who Sakura could now identify as Akane, and Hitomi regrettably took her leave. She paused before passing through the doorway however, bidding them a good night and suggesting she'd have more questions to ask on the road. And then she was gone, as suddenly as she had appeared. The four of them sat in stunned silence looking at each other in confusion. Finally Ino shook her head as if to clear it and repeated her earlier statement.

"Well, that was...interesting I guess?"

 **...**

The sound of combat echoed loudly off of the pink walls of the castle as early morning light crept across them. Sakura leaned against one of them, absently admiring Naruto's form, among other things, as he fluidly progressed through a series of motions.

"I must say, I'm impressed with their skill." Sakura turned, looking away from supervising Naruto and Konohamaru as they sparred, and found Yuugato Mei approaching. She was dressed in the traditional green armor of the Hayashi Guard and her purple eyes watched the action intently. Sakura had met the slightly older woman earlier that morning when she had, as Hitomi's personal guard, presided over the final arrangements for the princess's trip. Thankfully the princess herself had still been in bed.

"I know shinobi are generally highly regarded for their hand-to-hand combat, but none that I have faced fought with that kind of speed and precision." Sakura smirked at her, turning her attention back to the boys before responding.

"Naruto and Konohamaru are among the most skilled in taijutsu, not just in our village, but in the world. They're just goofing off right now. If they were seriously fighting, even just hand-to-hand, you wouldn't even be able to follow their movements."

"I would be doubtful, but Hitomi-hime has told me many of the stories about them, and you as well, Sakura-san. I must admit, I am honored to be working with a woman of your skill, and I hope we have the opportunity to spar before you head back to Konoha."

"It would be my pleasure, Mei-san." The woman nodded and looked back to the boys in time to watch Konohamaru get sent skidding across the courtyard. He lept to his feet with a fierce grin and charged back at Naruto, who was feigning boredom with a yawn. They traded a furious series of blows, and then Konohamaru was right back where he started. Shaking his head, the younger boy slipped a hand into the pouch around his thigh and let loose a barrage of shuriken. Naruto casually dodged them all before crossing his arms with a smirk.

"What's the matter? Can't take it without cheating Konohamaru?" Angered by Naruto's taunt, he leapt back into the fray. Mei shook her head and whistled softly.

"That's just goofing around? I'd hate to see them in real action." Sakura smiled at her again and nodded.

"Hopefully you won't have to. I assume, since you're here, the princess is ready to go?" Mei nodded once more, never taking her eyes off the fight.

"Yes, in a few minutes. Ino-san said I could find you here, 'blowing off steam' as she put it." Sakura shrugged as if to say 'boys' before calling out to Naruto. When he ignored her, she called again. When she still got no response, she sighed and started heading over to them. Normally she'd just yell at him, but she was still a little frustrated about the Akane incident from the night before. Even though it hadn't been Naruto's fault, he could still do with some reminding that she was his girlfriend now and he should be paying attention to her. It didn't take her more than a couple of seconds to have them both whining and clutching their heads in pain. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Naruto's lips before whispering softly into his ear.

"You know, Naruto-kun, a man should listen when his girlfriend talks to him. Otherwise she might get frustrated. You wouldn't want me to get frustrated, would you?" He shook his head violently and apologized quickly, to her satisfaction. Grabbing him by the hand and the still complaining Konohamaru by the ear, she drug them back to a smirking Mei.

"All set, Mei-san. Lead the way."

 **...**

"So you're saying I could become a shinobi?" Naruto nodded slowly, letting his sage chakra flow back into nature energy as he considered what he'd sensed.

"Yes, I think so. It's very weak, but you do seem to have more chakra than the average civilian. I think, with training, you could at the very least learn to incorporate it into hand-to-hand combat and your sword-fighting. But it's possible that you could learn to perform low-level ninjutsu and genjutsu as well. It's typically much harder to start learning once you reach adulthood, but it's not unheard of." The Captain of the Hayashi Guard walking to his right frowned, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"So it's a matter of chakra then? The more you have, the more kinds of techniques and higher level techniques you can do?" Naruto began to answer, but Sakura leaned around from his left and spoke for him.

"Well, it's not quite as simple as that, Mei-san. But generally speaking, yes. Basic techniques are a matter of chakra amount and chakra control. Once you get into more advanced techniques however, things like chakra nature and bloodline limits become important as well. Some techniques can only be performed by someone born with the genetic disposition to use them. And some people are never able to properly develop certain chakra natures, no matter how hard they train. For example, Naruto can't perform even the most basic lightning style techniques, even though he's got more chakra than everyone else here put together and his control is near perfect. His wind style techniques, however, are the most powerful I've ever seen because that was his natural chakra nature." Mei took some time digesting that as they walked. Naruto couldn't blame the older woman for the look of mild confusion on her face. Even as a genin who had graduated the academy, a simplified explanation like that would have stumped him completely. Then again, Sakura had tried to explain even more basic things to him back then and still managed to confuse him. He smiled and gave her hand a soft squeeze, earning him a smile in return. Turning his attention ahead, he watched in exasperation as their charge gestured demonstratively. Hitomi was walking between Ino and Konohamaru, and the three of them were yammering and arguing explosively. Who would have thought they could find someone who could not only keep up with their nonsense, but enjoyed doing it? His gaze shifted over the three guards on either side of the trio and the two ahead of them. Nine samurai, three jonin, and a chunin...he wasn't sure if it was overkill or not nearly enough of an escort. Tsunade had mentioned that Raizo had merely requested a team of Konoha shinobi as a precaution, and truthfully a favor to indulge the princess's obsession. He had submitted it as an upper-level C or lower-level B ranked mission, which would have meant an experienced genin team with a jonin leader, or a full chunin team. Tsunade had only decided to send him and the others to give them some time off, and to win some favor with the princess, so he supposed it was overkill. Mei didn't seem concerned that they would run into any trouble other than the odd bandit, which she seemed perfectly capable of handling herself.

"Hmmm, so if I do these 'chakra-building exercises', and it turns out I can't perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, how could I use my chakra to help my hand-to-hand or sword combat?" He turned back to Mei, considering her question.

"Well, it would be very rare if you were to have a decent amount of chakra and be able to control it at all and still not to be able perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, even terribly. There's only one person I've ever heard of like that. The funny thing is, he's actually one of the best shinobi in Konoha. His name is Rock Lee, and he's a master of taijutsu. He uses chakra to increase his strength and speed beyond normal human abilities. Chakra also naturally enhances your toughness and stamina, even if you don't consciously use or control it. Manipulating it also lets you walk on walls or ceilings, and at a more advanced level on water, and when applied to a blade it can strengthen it and extend its reach." Mei seemed quite surprised by his answer and fell deep into thought again. He was about to suggest that he and Sakura could teach her a few things once they stopped for the night when he felt foreign chakra in the distance.

"Stop...everybody stop!" Sakura jerked to a halt beside him and the rest of the party turned to him in alarm. He swept his gaze across the landscape ahead of them, finally settling on the top of a tall wooded embankment bordering the side of the road where it curved a quarter mile ahead.

"Naruto?" He shook his head at Ino, never taking his eyes off of the embankment. The chakra he had sensed had disappeared, and just as he began to relax he saw it. The glint of something metallic reflecting the sunlight from between the trees.

"There's someone there. I can't feel their chakra any more...which means shinobi. Konohamaru, Ino, stay with Mei and Hitomi. Sakura…" She nodded at him and they began to walk forward, passing through the samurai at the front of the convoy and approaching the curve in the road. When they were within a few yards they came to a halt.

"Alright. I know you're there. I don't know what your business is, but I suggest you reveal yourself before we attack." They waited for a few seconds, and then a figure emerged from the darkness between the trees. It was hard to tell if they were male or female, as they were covered head to toe in black except for a narrow strip over their eyes. They wore a blank forehead protector, and remained utterly silent as they slid down the embankment to take up a position in the middle of the road. Drawing an oversized kunai from inside one sleeve, the figure pointed it at them and spoke in a gruff voice.

"Our business is with you, Konoha dog. And with that foolish child this misguided country calls princess. Surrender her to us and get out of our land, or die." As he spoke, a dozen other black-clad ninja appeared from between the trees on either side of the road. Naruto looked them over. They were no longer suppressing their chakra in anticipation for battle, allowing him to feel them out. They were chunin level, with two or three jonin thrown in. He turned to Sakura and smiled. They were barely more of a threat than an ant. She smiled knowingly back at him, and they both turned to the ninja in front of them.

"We could use a good fight, bring it on!"


End file.
